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A Prayer: Mercy That Keeps Us Human

(Saturday Prayer of Release)

God of compassion,

you see the places where our vision has narrowed

and our hearts have grown guarded.

Teach us mercy that does not calculate,

grace that does not demand earning,

and love that still recognizes your image

even when it is hidden or distorted.

When judgment tightens our grip,

invite us to release.

When resentment weighs us down,

give us rest.

Help us remember

that in recognizing the humanity of another,

we preserve our own.

And that mercy given

is mercy received.

On this day of stillness,

soften what has grown hard,

heal what has grown tired,

and keep us human

in a world that forgets how.

Amen.

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Mercy Keeps Us Human

A 60 Seconds of Hope Reflection

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.”

— Matthew 5:7

The Greek word translated merciful doesn’t describe fairness or balance.

It describes compassion given where it is not earned.

Mercy is a kind of grace that recognizes the humanity of another—even when that humanity has been obscured by fear, failure, or harm.

To give mercy is to say: I still see you.

And when we recognize the humanity of another, something important happens—we preserve our own.

Without mercy, we shrink.

We harden.

We reduce people to their worst moment.

But mercy refuses that narrowing of the soul.

What we give is what we get—not because life is transactional,

but because mercy keeps us human.

I’m Horace McMillon.

This is 60 Seconds of Hope.

Peace be with you.

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“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.” — Matthew 5:6

The hunger and thirst named here is not casual or mild.

It is intense and urgent.

This is the hunger of deprivation and the thirst of desperation—

the kind that rises when something essential for life is missing.

To hunger and thirst for righteousness is to long for it

the way a suffocating person longs for their next breath.

It is a matter of life itself.

This longing grows in those who are poor in spirit

and deepens in those who mourn.

We feel the urgency to see what is wrong in the world made right.

The commitment to see this hunger and thirst satisfied

takes root in the meek—

in those who become spiritually disciplined and self-controlled.

And here is the promise our faith holds before us:

We shall be completely satisfied.

The fulfillment may be delayed,

but the promise will never be denied.

So we stay hungry.

We stay thirsty.

We keep walking,

keep working,

refusing to settle for a world

less than what God has promised.

God will fill what is empty—

with justice,

with mercy,

and with a righteousness

that endures. Amen.

I’m Horace McMillon.

This is 60 Seconds of Hope.

Peace be with you.

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Through the Pain

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” — Matthew 5:4

The Greek word translated mourn, pentheō, means to grieve deeply—to experience profound, gut-level sorrow. It is the grief of loss, death, injustice, and devastating brokenness. This is not mild sadness. It is honest pain.

Witnessing human suffering is painful, especially when that suffering is caused by human injustice. To avoid that pain, many of us try to explain it away, numb ourselves to it, or harden our hearts and say, this is just the way things are.

But this blessing calls us not to look away. Mourning is often the doorway to repentance, healing, restoration, and transformation. We do not reach the other side without going through it.

Blessed are we when we grieve what is broken—in ourselves, in others, and in the world. God meets us in our grief, and the comfort of God’s presence carries the power of redemption, restoration, and resurrection.

I’m Horace McMillon. This is 60 Seconds of Hope. Peace be with you.

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What Is Poor In Spirit?

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” - Matthew 5:3

The Greek word ptōchoi (πτωχοί) translated as poor describes someone who is beyond being merely poor but is completely destitute and dependent upon others.

The Greek word translated as spirit, pneuma (πνεῦμα) means breath or wind—the animating force of life which is closely related to their mindset, attitude, and the orientation of their heart.

To be poor in spirit is not to be emotionally weak or to have a low self worth. What Matthew is describing is a deep and sincere humility that allows us to be completely open, receptive, and unguarded before God as we understand that we are completely dependent on God.

We can’t receive what God has for us individually or collectively if we are already full of ourselves. Embracing our complete spiritual dependence, embraces our spiritual transformation.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” - Matthew 5:3

I’m Horace McMillon.

This is 60 Seconds of Hope.

Peace be with you.

#60secondsofhope #inspiration #Devotion #discipleship #growth #postivemindset #devotional #faith #hope #love #positiveattitude #positivethinking #dailydevotion #dailyinspiration #dailydevotional #dailymeditation #matthew5 #sermononthemount #Beatitudes

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Prepare Us for the Kingdom: A Prayer

In this time and place, we pause to ask God to shape our hearts and our lives for the nearness of the kingdom that is already among us.

God of the kingdom that draws near,

you did not send us a gospel of control,

but a gospel of good news for the poor,

release for the captive,

and hope for a broken world.

When we are tempted to trade witness for power,

call us back.

When comfort dulls our hunger for justice,

wake us up.

When the cross becomes a symbol we carry

instead of a way we follow,

recenter our lives.

Give us the courage to bear witness without domination,

to seek justice without fear,

and to love our neighbors—especially the poor—as signs of your reign.

Fill us again with your Spirit,

that we may live as people of hope,

people of generosity,

people shaped not by empire,

but by your kingdom.

We offer ourselves to you,

trusting that your way still leads to life.

Amen.

I’m Horace McMillon.

This is 60 Seconds of Hope.

Peace be with you.

#60secondsofhope #prayer #inspiration #Devotion #faith #discipleship #dailymeditation #dailydevotional #dailyinspiration #dailyprayer #dailydevotion #faith #hope #love #growth #postivemindset #positivity #kingdomofheaven #kingdomofGod

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What It Means To Be “Meek”

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”

— Matthew 5:5

The Greek word praeis (πραεῖς), translated as meek, doesn’t mean timid, shy, or passive—as many of us have been taught to assume.

In its adjective form, this word was used to describe disciplined soldiers, trained war horses, and people whose strength was under control.

Meekness in the Beatitudes is a form of self-mastery. It describes a person who is disciplined enough to receive instruction and carry out their purpose—even in the face of daunting circumstances.

An inheritance is something we are given stewardship over. If we are to become the stewards of the world God intends us to be, we must develop and practice self-mastery in our words, our deeds, and even our thoughts and feelings.

We cannot allow ourselves to be triggered by the difficulties of the moment, no matter how great they are. We must be disciplined enough to stay on mission and on purpose at all times.

I’m Horace McMillon.

This is 60 Seconds of Hope.

Peace be with you.

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Live Together or Die Apart

“We must learn to live together as family, or perish together as fools.”

— Martin Luther King Jr.*

The question before us is not whether we are connected. We are.

The question is how we choose to be connected.

We are already bound together—by the shared air we breathe, by our economies and ecosystems, and by histories we did not choose and cannot rewrite.

And we will continue to be bound together.

So what story will we write?

One in which we come together to minimize suffering and promote human flourishing—or more of the same?

Scripture reminds us:

“If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.”

— 1 Corinthians 12:26 (NIV)

When one is lifted, all are lifted. There is no faithful vision of the future that ignores our neighbor’s pain, and no wise future built on selfishness and indifference.

So the choice before us is clear. We can learn to live together—sharing one another’s burdens in love—or we can die apart, undone by indifference and fear.

I’m Horace McMillon.

This is 60 Seconds of Hope.

Peace be with you.

*Adapted from Dr. King’s original use of “brothers”

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